INTERVIEW 3-15-01

INTERVIEW 08-26-07

IMAGE GALLERIES

Stating that once upon a time she was a 'nerdy child', Paisley (Sharmell Sullivan) had an active and athletic childhood while growing up in Gary Indiana.  Besides being a competitive swimmer in the AAU at an early age, she became a seriously devoted gymnastics student.  Sharmell even received an offer to train with the Olympic Gymnastics team, but her mother decided that she did not want to pull her child out of school.

A self-proclaimed 'shy' high school student, Sharmell applied herself to the books while cultivating both her athletic and entertainment interests.  Not only was she the class valedictorian, but she was also a captain of the cheerleading team, a pom pom girl, and a majorette, before entering college in Atlanta. 

During her senior year as a mathematics major, Sharmell won the Miss Black America contest, which she found fulfilling.  Seriously considering a return to college for a 2nd degree - in biomedical engineering - the extrovert part of her took over, and she began a career in professional dance.  Touring with several hip-hop artists and R&B bands she eventually went on the road with James Brown for 3-1/2 years.  Overhearing a conversation about the Nitro Girls on the tour bus that interested her, she watched a Nitro show and knew what she wanted to do.

Ironically a close friend of hers had just joined the Nitro Girls (Tygress), and 3 short months later she called to inform Sharmell that they were auditioning for new dancers.  In December of 1998 she appeared as the Nitro Girl Storm.  Although she thoroughly enjoyed life as a Nitro Girl, Sharmell jumped at the WCW creative teams offer to become the Artist's valet.  Now that she had experienced some fisticuffs in the ring, she felt that with her natural athletic abilities she could become an 'awesome wrestler'.

I'm glad she got the chance, but, I'm sure I wasn't the only person that felt that 'The Artist Formerly Know As Prince Iaukea' and 'The Artist Formerly Known As The Artist' had to be one of the lamest storylines in professional wrestling.  Her new "Paisley" role at ringside led to several knockdown drag-out fights with other WCW babes.

In February 2001 it was announced that the WCW had let some of the women go, including Paisley, and nothing was heard about her again until August of that year.  It was rumored that the WWF was sending her to Ohio Valley Wrestling (the WWF's "minor league") for training as a wrestler.

When WCW was bought by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 2001 Sullivan signed a developmental contract, with the intent of becoming a full-time in-ring performer and was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling for training. Her first job there during her training was to valet for The Suicide Blondes under a blonde wig and using the name Sister Sharmell. She also made some appearances on the main roster show, Friday Night SmackDown!, as a backstage interviewer using her full real name. Her training, however, was cut short by a knee injury, and she was released later in the year.

Sullivan was re-hired by the World Wrestling Entertainment in 2005, debuting as a face valet for her real-life husband Booker T, but turning heel with him when he changed alignment. Sullivan, and Booker T - as faces - had a short feud with MNM (Joey Mercury, Johnny Nitro and Melina Perez) which resulted in Sullivan wrestling (and losing) her first match as a WWE Diva on the August 18, 2005 edition of SmackDown! (Mercury and Melina vs Booker T and Sharmell).

Early on, Sullivan cheated to secure victories for her face husband, seemingly without his knowledge, until Booker turned heel upon winning the United States Title - due to Sullivan's interference - from Chris Benoit on an October edition of SmackDown! when it was revealed that Booker knew she was helping all along.

After Booker T's victory in the 2006 King of the Ring tournament, Booker T began referring to himself as "King Booker" and Sharmell as "Queen Sharmell". Booker and Sharmell continued the "King and Queen" personna with the WWE until October 2007, at which time the WWE announced that the couple was being released.

On November 11, 2007 the couple returned to television in a big way at the TNA Genesis PPV, where Booker was revealed to be Sting's mystery partner in a match against Kevin Nash & Kurt Angle. At the end of the match Angle's wife tried to distract the referee and Sharmell attacked her.